The Chicks will tour intimate theaters across the U.S. this fall to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their landmark 2006 album “Taking the Long Way,” performing it in full alongside additional songs. The run begins Sept. 30 in Detroit and runs through Nov. 2
When The Chicks walk on stage this fall, they won’t just be revisiting an album. They’ll be revisiting a turning point—one that began with backlash in 2003 and ended up reshaping their career by 2006.
Twenty years ago. the Texas trio of Emily Strayer. Martie Maguire and Natalie Maines released “Taking the Long Way. ” their first full-length after the country music industry turned its back on them. Now. the group is announcing an intimate “Taking the Long Way” 20th Anniversary Tour. bringing the record to theaters across the U.S. “This album in particular is what I think fans would say is the most recognized time in our career. ” Maines said. The shows will feature The Chicks performing “Taking the Long Way” in full. along with additional songs. as they reminisce about the album—and the unusual stretch of time that led up to it.
That stretch started in 2003, when then-President George W. Bush was preparing to invade Iraq. The Chicks were playing a show in London when Maines announced that they were ashamed that the president was from Texas. The backlash came fast and hard. The Chicks were booed on awards shows. radio stations pulled their music. fans destroyed their CDs. and the controversy quickly became part of industry lore. There was an apology, followed later by a rescinding of the apology.
By 2006, they turned the story into something else entirely. The band released “Not Ready to Make Nice. ” a multiplatinum selling single that served as “the best revenge. ” according to the way Maines described what came next. “It was definitely inspiring for songwriting,” Maines said. “It felt like life was happening to us. like we weren’t steering the ship.” Maguire. looking back. called it a difficult season. “Those were hard times for us,” she said. “It’s all the stages of grief … I think we were kind of in that misunderstood. angry. but also really upset and needing an outlet (stage.)”.
After “licking our wounds,” as Strayer put it, they wrote the triumphant “Taking the Long Way,” produced by Rick Rubin. Maines said the single carried the same personal heat. “Not Ready to Make Nice” came out of that. “It was like, ‘This is solely selfish. This is our lives,’” she said of the song. She added that while they were shocked when it connected, the message still travels. “But now, they recognize that ‘people have their own ‘Not Ready to Make Nice’ story to tell.’”.
The album’s impact didn’t stay within the music world for long. “Taking the Long Way” earned The Chicks five Grammy Awards. including album. song and record of the year. and marked a transformative moment for the band. Strayer said the themes still land—especially when revisited. “Re-listening and rehearing those songs. I was surprised how relevant they still seemed and how universal they still seemed even though they were such personal stories. ” she said.
Later this year. fans will get a close-up chance to relive the “Taking the Long Way” era on a 16-night run. The tour starts at the Fox Theatre in Detroit on Sept. 30 and ends in Los Angeles at the Dolby Theatre on Nov. 1 and 2. The Chicks will also play two nights in Chicago, New York, San Antonio, Seattle and San Francisco. They’ll stop for one night each in Washington, Nashville, Tennessee, and Austin, Texas.
Tickets will go on sale June 4 at 10 a.m. local time on LiveNation.com.
The Chicks’ ‘Taking the Long Way’ 20th Anniversary Tour Dates
Sept. 30: Detroit — Fox Theatre
Oct. 3: Chicago — The Auditorium
Oct. 4: Chicago — The Auditorium
Oct. 6: Washington — The Anthem
Oct. 12: New York — Beacon Theatre
Oct. 13: New York — Beacon Theatre
Oct. 15: Nashville, Tennessee — The Truth
Oct. 17: San Antonio — Majestic Theatre
Oct. 18: San Antonio — Majestic Theatre
Oct. 20: Austin, Texas — Bass Concert Hall
Oct. 25: Seattle — Benaroya Hall
Oct. 26: Seattle — Benaroya Hall
Oct. 29: San Francisco — The Masonic
Oct. 30: San Francisco — The Masonic
Nov. 1: Los Angeles — Dolby Theatre
Nov. 2: Los Angeles — Dolby Theatre.
The Chicks Taking the Long Way 20th Anniversary Tour Natalie Maines Emily Strayer Martie Maguire Rick Rubin Not Ready to Make Nice tour dates LiveNation.com Grammy Awards